Inyo National Forest wants input on new forest plan revision from public

Almost everything people see in almost every direction on the Eastside is part of the huge Inyo National Forest—about two million acres of granite peaks, forest, sagebrush meadows and fast-dropping creeks that water an otherwise desert landscape.

The forest stretches from the Conway Summit area south to Lone Pine, then west until it hits the crest of the Sierra.

It even stretches across Long Valley and the Owens Valley to include the White and Inyo Mountains, in some places.

It’s big country and this year, the whole forest is up for what the technocrats call a “forest plan revision.”

It means the entire forest—the trails, the campgrounds, the wildlife, the economics of living here, the new demands never anticipated—are up for examination.

Evaluation will include how roads are managed, how the backcountry is managed, how horse traffic and snowmobiles, and cross-country skiers are managed. What areas might be good for new wilderness? What areas might be good for other recreational opportunities?

On Wednesday night, about 30 people gathered at the Community Center in Mammoth Lakes to weigh in on the big subject. They asked questions about fixing campgrounds to communicating with the public to frustrations with closed roads—and that was just the beginning.

For the next several months, the forest service will be asking for the public to get involved, asking questions such as “what trends, changes have you noticed in the forest? and what needs more attention?”